Who Wants To Be an Animagus?
by Dr-I-Know-All
Summary: Snape and McGonagall have gotten into a costly wager - 39 days to produce as many Animagi as possible from their houses. The Headmaster's seat is at stake. Snape agrees to brew the final potion, McGonagall agrees to have the classes. Who changes, who gives up, and who bungles it? It's Slytherin vs. Gryffindor! All Characters Fic. Final Year Fun! POST-DH AU HG/DM HP/GW RW/PP TN/DG
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Wager

* * *

McGonagall was on the prowl. More accurately, she was hunting a specific Potion's Master who had returned alive for the school year, to the shock of all. Without You-Know-Who or Dumbledore on his back, he was an annoyingly competent instructor. He was the talk of the school for that fact alone, then add to it his hero status and rumoured-invincibility to snake venom and Snape was really grating on her nerves.

It would have been fine, however they had been unable to find a Potions or Transfiguration teacher post-war, and so they had agreed to be co-Headmaster/Headmistress. And the horribly popular man had been conniving behind her back and giving his Slytherins private Potions instruction to boot. She was putting an end to it.

She skittered up behind the herb-scented man, knowing she couldn't surprise him, but determined to try anyways. To her surprise, the potion master dropped to his knees and transformed, his body shifting in what she knew was an Animagus transformation. After a moment, his three-headed runespoor for rounded on her with a hiss.

Without even pausing, McGonagall shifted back to human.

"Severus, when on the God's green earth did you become an Animagus?" McGonagall demanded.

Snape easily joined his colleague on his feet, giving her an award-winning smirk. "Feeling threatened, Minerva?"

"Pfft, hardly," she rejected quickly. "I am merely curious."

"Alright. It was before the Second War," he answered. "It was meant to give me an edge, should the Dark Lord ever figure me out. No one knew about it, not even Dumbledore."

"You've been hiding it all this time?!" McGonagall screeched at him.

"Obviously," Severus quirked his brow at the entertainment he'd been given. "Now, Minerva, was there something you wanted? I've been rather busy, and I'd like to get a good night's rest."

"Perhaps you wouldn't be so busy if you weren't giving extra tutoring to your Slytherin Seventh-Years!" McGonagall accused.

Snape had been waiting for this. All he needed was the right moment, the right inflection of his tone, and he would have a highly entertaining rest of term. It was so easy to get the strict lady to bow into a little bit of avarice and take a gamble with him, but the conditions had to be just right.

"And should I not aid my students, Minerva?" He quirked his eyebrow, knowing it'd infuriate her more. "Seems against your Gryffindor-ish tendencies."

"Stop making this about Houses, Severus!" she demanded hotly. "If you're providing extra instruction, you need to offer it to all the students, not simply those from your own House!"

"I find my snakes far more talented in their subjects than your lazy little lions," Snape jeered her. "In fact, I'm so impressed with them I'm going to begin them in the process of becoming Animagi."

"Are you mad?" McGonagall shrieked. "Months of work, just to prove your house better?"

"If you insist, your Gryffindors may join," Snape goaded easily. "However, I'm unsure as to whether any of them will make the transformation."

"Circe's tit they will!" McGonagall declared. "You provide the potions and the mandrake leaves, and we'll both provide our house with instruction. So help me, Gryffindor will have more transformations that your house by the end of the year!"

"The end of the year provides the failures with too much time," Snape deflected easily. "It takes them 30 days of holding the mandrake leaf in their mouths and saying the incantation, then an additional 2 for the potion to be prepared, and AT MOST another week to transform. 39 days, Minerva. Whoever has the most Animagi in their house wins the Headmastership."

And so a Wizard's bet was born.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: So It Begins

* * *

The combined seventh-year (technically seventh and eight year) class was buzzing. New classroom, a pile of leaves on the desk, and a hastily delivered parchment last night indicating a massive schedule change.

"I bet it's a new subject," Hermione preened happily. "They must be testing it out on the seventh-years. Ooh, I hope it's healing magics! That's been left out of everything! Or even ritual magic! They never go into detail about those besides in old texts, and maybe they'll-"

"C'mon, 'Mione," Ron whined, "it's probably nothing. A Order of Merlin party or something."

"They handed those out months ago!" Hermione contradicted quickly. "This is something new!"

"Hey Granger!" Malfoy sneered from his desk. "Maybe they're finally giving a course in beauty magic just for you."

"That explains why you're here, Malfoy," Harry jumped to defend his friend, "doesn't it?"

Simultaneously, the two doors to the back of the room opened and the two Heads of Houses entered. Silence pervaded as the approached the front of the room, and stood together.

"Good morning, seventh years," McGonagall greeted with a surly grimace. "Now, we have called you here today to present a rare opportunity. As you know, there are a few disciplines within the transfigurative magics that require extensive time and study to master. Alchemy, transmutations, animation . . . and becoming an Animagus."

Theo leaned forward to Draco. "They're letting us study that in school? I thought it was dangerous."

"As long as I don't turn into a ferret," Draco hissed back. "Damned Gryffindors would never let me live it down."

"Silence!" Snape barked. Eyeing down the class, he continued. "We have decided to give you all the choice to study, and potentially become an Animagus. Be aware, however, that it is not easy. Firstly, any who accept the challenge will be given a mandrake leaf, which must be continuously in their mouths for the next 30 days. You may not chew the leaf, or use any magic to prevent you from swallowing it. You may not swallow any magical potions, so those of you with pre-existing conditions are out."

"No pain potion?" Ginny murmured to Hermione, as both girls had looked panicked. "Please tell me you have that muggle medicine."

"I'll send for some," Hermione murmured back.

Pansy was similarly stricken, leaning over to Daphne Greengrass. "How am I going to do it?"

"Food is, of course, allowed," McGonagall continued, "provided there are no magical ingredients. Unfortunately, much of Hogwarts' feasts are prepared with items such as brewing sugar and magical beasts, so anyone who elects to work towards their transformation will be sitting at a specifically allocated table with specially prepared foods. _With_ the other seventh years from _every_ house."

The clear animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor was apparent then. They glared at each other, though Draco didn't glare. Instead, he winked at the resident Gryffindor princess who turned a lovely shade of pink and glare at him in return.

"Each days, 12 hours apart and consistent for the next 30 days, the incantation _Amato Animo Animato Animagus_ must be chanted with the Mandrake leaf still in your mouth," Snape instructed. "I _strongly_ advise doing so alone. At the end of 30 days, you will place your mandrake leaf in a tube, labeled with your name, and present it to me. I will brew your potion, and you will consume it at the 32 day mark. You will know within the week if you are successful."

She entered down at the class. "We have decided that any of you who successfully transforms within 39 days of today will be awarded 50 points for their houses. The house with the most Animagi transformations will also earn a very rare prize."

Harry and Ron shared a very eager grin. They were going to win the prize for Gryffindor, if that was all there was to it. They were the Golden Trio, of course they'd win.

Hermione huffed. "Are they trying to pit us against the Slytherins?"

"Now, should any of you wish to participate in this optional instruction," Snape sneered, "you may come forward an get a mandrake leaf and a parchment with the spell on it."

Harry and Ginny and Ron and Daphne and Pansy were the first four up there.

"Out of my way, Weasley!" Pansy barked, pulling Ron away from the table.

"Oi, go manhandle Malfoy, Parkinson!" Ron snapped.

Malfoy rose when he saw Hermione still sitting in her seat, thinking. "Opting out of this one, Granger?"

"In your dreams, ferret!" she snarled, pulling her bag up to her shoulder and stomping over to the desk.

Snape and McGonagall watched as one by one, everyone in their classes took the challenge. They eyed each other quickly and nodded. The games were on.


End file.
